Quote:
Originally Posted by Vinny01
I would rather the Flames hold their chips for another year but I can unfortunately see why they would push forward. Kadri/Huberdeau/Weegar/Coleman/Backlund are not getting any younger and Wolf/Coronato/Zary/Parekh are all making an impact or poised to make an impact next year.
The “Nashville” model is a cautionary tale for the Flames to consider avoiding. They had a great year in 2023/24 and made the playoffs while also pushing the Canucks in a first round series. They then went out and added 3 of the top UFA’s on the market and the team was awful this year. Hey maybe Flames fans want that so we can get a top pick next year?
The Flames version of the Nashville model for me are targeting Bennett, Ekblad, and Boeser or Ehlers. I do not see Marner coming here unless Kadri has somehow sold him and I just doubt that. Steinberg and Francis sure seem to pound the Bennett drum to think he is going to be getting a huge offer from the Flames if he gets to UFA. Ekblad was extremely close with Huberdeau and Weegar so I do see a scenario where he would consider coming here and they shift Weegar to be his left side partner like he was in Florida.
I do think they will flip Anderson so I can see a situation where they still target a futures based return. I am also not convinced they go big game hunting but I do think “it makes sense” knowing this organisation has no desire to tank and if they are bought into Wolf being a top 5 goalie then the push to win will be immediate
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Imagine having that kind of supporting cast and a plethora of first rounders coming in. Some teams have been able to make their way into contention with out super high picks like Carolina, Minnesota, even Winnipeg to an extent. We have to accept at this point that this is the way this owner operates and look for solutions under this perception. Its not what we think we "should" do at this point. It's what would Edwards want and how can we be successful under his model.